Mumbai: Rash driving kills 9-yr-old in Mazgaon

Eyewitnesses and relatives have alleged that the driver of the car that hit her was speaking on the phone at the time of the incident

A nine-year-old girl from Mazgaon succumbed to injuries after she was run over by a speeding vehicle on Sunday. Riya Narkar had stepped out of her house to get a couple of food items, when Bala Pokharkar, (40), who was allegedly speaking on the phone while driving, ran over her, leaving her severely injured in the middle of the road.

Riya Narkar had stepped out of her house to get a couple of food items, when she was run over

Narkar was rushed to JJ Hospital, via a longer route due to the under construction Hancock Bridge, but she was pronounced dead on arrival. Byculla police arrested Pokharkar immediately and produced him in court on Monday afternoon.

Relatives of the family and eyewitnesses to the incident have alleged that the man was talking on the phone while driving, but cops did not confirm this. The incident took place at around 7.19 pm on Sunday, when Riya, a resident of Israel Chawl of Mazgaon, stepped out of the house to buy cucumbers and bread.

“Moments after she left home, our neighbours came running to tell us that Riya was run over by a speeding vehicle. The incident took place just across the street,” said Jayesh, father of Riya. The residents of the colony also informed the Byculla beat chowky police, and they arrested Pokharkar on the spot.

Riya was rushed to JJ Hospital but due to the Hancock Bridge repairs, her family had to take a longer route, which further delayed the treatment. Doctors from the hospital said that the girl had sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival.

They found no pulse and all attempts to revive her went in vain as she had lost too much blood. While her body was sent for post mortem, after the forensic analysis, it was handed over to the family at around 1.15 am.

Suresh Magdum, Senior Police Inspector of Byculla police station under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, said that they arrested Pokharkar (he was driving a Swift Desire) and produced him in court yesterday afternoon.

“We have booked the accused under Sections 304A (Causing death by negligence), 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and Section 184 A and B of Motor Vehicles Act (Driving dangerously). We have produced him in court today and prima facie it has come forward that he was speeding in a narrow lane,” said Magdum.